IRELAND

Ocean Power Innovation Network
The Ocean Power Innovation Network (OPIN) is a collaborative industry network that has been developed by agencies in Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland. The network’s mission is to advance innovation in the sector by learning from experts in other industries, to push the boundaries of what’s possible in ocean energy and progress innovative ocean projects in a coordinated way. To date OPIN has facilitated 4 workshops in 2016 and 2017, held in Dublin, Edinburgh, Belfast and Aberdeen, which have exposed attendees to the benefits of Open Innovation, highlighted opportunities for learning and technology transfer from other sectors such as offshore oil and gas, and encouraged valuable industry collaboration.

The Ocean Energy Ireland Portal (www.oceanenergyireland.com)
The portal, designed by SEAI and the Marine Institute with input from numerous other groups, acts as a ‘one stop shop’ to guide developers through the supports available in Ireland for the marine renewable energy sector. All information is aligned under six axes of activity which provide access to marine data, maps, tools, funding and information relevant to renewable energy site assessment, development and management.

The website and its content are continuously updated, and 2017 saw numerous new or upgraded features. The Marine Renewable Energy Atlas, an interactive GIS map of Ireland and its waters, was updated to include the most relevant, high quality downloadable data available. 2017 also saw the redesign of the media section of the website with a greater focus placed on user friendliness.